Month: April 2017

I’ve been hearing a lot lately about Beach Body or Team Beach Body coaches (or whatever its called) and 21 Day Fixes and what not. And while I would never knock anything that promotes healthy habits… the name “Beach Body” already sets me off.

Let’s make something clear: EVERY BODY IS A BEACH BODY. EVERY BODY IS A BIKINI BODY. Please, wear whatever type of swimsuit you want. Just because you don’t look like a Victoria’s Secret model doesn’t mean you can’t go to the beach. That is ridiculous.

It’s great to make healthy choices… but if you join a cult crash diet or program, it’s not going to be sustainable. Everyone’s body is different, so what works for you, might not be right for someone else. I got “really fired up” about this a few days ago, hence the blog title.

A while back I wrote a post about my thoughts and experiences with body image. Because we are constantly bombarded with messages about how our bodies should and shouldn’t be, I would like to re-share some of these thoughts (a.k.a. picture me shouting this from the top of a mountain because that is how strongly I feel lol).

It is our every day thoughts and actions that cause things like this to happen. It’s a side comment from a family member, teacher or coach, who maybe meant no harm at all, maybe not even directed at you, that spirals into thoughts of “I need to be better/skinnier/different” and “Why do I look like this?”

Of course we already know it’s about being constantly bombarded with images of seemingly perfect-looking people and ads for weight loss nonsense, but it’s a lot deeper than that. It’s the way people talk about body image. I’m all for body positivity, but why does it have to be such a big deal? Why do we make such a big deal about putting “plus size” women in Sports Illustrated? I mean, that’s great. But talking about how it “makes history” and how she’s a role model for plus size women everywhere is just more labeling and objectifying.

Constantly hearing things like, “she must have gained weight” or “she’s so skinny” or “I shouldn’t have eaten that” or “you’re wasting away over there” or ANYTHING relating to body image is what causes this to happen. People often think they’re giving a compliment, but they don’t realize the damage it can do. Words are important. People hear what you say, even if you don’t always think they do.

Find what works for you and do it. Be a runner, walker, Zumba-er, body builder, yogi, whatever you want. But don’t let it consume you. Your happiness should not be rooted in how you look or how you think others perceive you. The end.